Prologue of 'Stage Life'
by Stage -A.K.A. Molly
Summary: Just the prologue of a story I'm writing. The story will be called Stage Life. It's kind of going to be a revision of an old story I was writing, Spot's Goil, but it wasn't that great, so that's why I'm writing this one.Prologue is called 'A Real Hero'.


_Note: Wow! People are reading my story! I know their accents are kinda thick, but Race's is supposed to be, and Stage's... I'll try and tone her's down a bit. I might work on Jack's a little, too. Thanks for the reviews, though! It really helps to know what other people think. Oh, and by the way! I do not own Newsies in any way. All Newsies related items are property of Disney. (Although I wouldn't mind owning Spot ) Ok, that's all. So, ta-ta for now! Carry the banner!  
_

"All right, it's time for bed! Everyone, go to sleep!" Warden Snyder shouted into a particular bunk room of the refuge. All the children in this room seem to be asleep, so Snyder extinguished the light and shut the door.

A few seconds passed in total darkness and silence. Seconds turned into minutes; minutes turned into hours. It was around midnight when the first movement in the room took place.

Stage Johnson cautiously opened one eye, and looked around to make sure Snyder wasn't in the room. When the coast was clear, she quietly got up from her bed. She moved across the room, going from bunk to bunk and tapping each kid lightly on the shoulder. They all got up in an instant, for they were too anxious to have been sleeping. Finally, stage arrived at a kid named Jack Kelly's bunk.

Jack Kelly was, and always had been, her best friend. "Jack," she whispered into his ear, "Get up. It's show-time." He quickly arose from his bed, and the two made their way over to the other side of the room, so that they were facing the bunks. When all the kids were sitting up and looking at Stage and Jack, Stage spoke.

"Tanight, as you all know, is the night we make ah' escape. Does ev'ryone remembah da plan?" They all nodded. How could they forget it? The escape was all any of them could think about for the last two weeks. Their plan wasn't really their best one, but with some luck, it just might work.

The plan was to tie enough bed sheets together to make a rope. They would hang the rope out the window so that they could climb down. Jack would climb down first, to make sure everyone got away. Stage would climb down last, so that she'd be able to keep a look-out for Snyder. Not exactly fool-proof, but it could work.

"All right, then," Jack said, "Let's get started on that rope." Jack and some of the other kids in the bunk room began tying their sheets together for the rope, while Stage and her bunkmate Racetrack Higgins stood by the door to listen for Snyder.

"So, Stage," Racetrack asked her, "Whattah you gonna do when you escape heah?"

"Ya mean, 'if' I escpae heah," Stage corrected him.

"Uh, not ta ahgue with ya o' nuttin', Stage, but it's pretty much guaranteed yer gonna escape."

"Ya nevah know, Race."

"Okay, da rope's ready," Jack proclaimed, "Let's go." Jack knotted the rope to the leg of the bunk nearest to the window. He tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure. When he found it was tight enough, he opened the window and let the rope down.

As he was about to hoist himself out of the window to climb down the rope, Stage ran up to him and hugged him. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "G'luck, Jack." He blushed a little, but he knew it was only a friendly kiss, so in return he said,

"Uh, thanks, Stage. G'luck ta you, too." And with that, he climbed out of the window and down the bed sheet rope. When he reached the bottom, he motioned for the next kid to come down.

One by one they made their escape, climbing down and running for the Newsies Lodging House, until only Stage was left. Jack was waiting for her at the bottom of the rope. She made her way from the back of the room, where she had been listening for Snyder, over to the window. She stopped suddenly. There were footsteps coming from outside the door. "Ev'rything all right up theah?" Jack yelled up to her. The footsteps stopped.

"Uh, yeah," Stage replied. She started to climb out the window, when she heard a sound like someone jiggling a doorknob. That stopped, too, so she decided to just keep going. She held onto the rope and let herself out the window. She hesitated, and then looked down at Jack.

"I guess now wouldn't be such a great time ta say I'm afraid o' heights?" Stage asked.

"YOU, afraid?" Jack answered in disbelief. Stage giggled cautiously. Because she had been looking down at Jack, she hadn't seen the person untie the rope from the bunk leg. When Stage looked up again, instead of seeing an empty window, she saw Snyder holding their rope. She gasped, and almost let go.

"Please, don't drop da rope, Warden Snydah," Stage pleaded in an innocent voice.

"Don't be silly, Ms. Johnson," he retorted in a sarcastic voice, "I wouldn't dream of harming another human being."

"Well, that makes one of us," Stage said. She immediately pulled herself up and back through the window. She threw a punch at Snyder, and hit him in the gut. While Snyder was doubled over in pain, Stage turned around to make her escape back through the window, but realized what she had done.

When she had hit Snyder, he let go of the rope, and it fell out the window. She was unable to get away.

"Jack, run!" Stage shouted out the window.

"But," Jack tried to argue, but Stage cut him off.

"Nevah mind me, just go!" she yelled. Jack stood still. Snyder grabbed Stage from behind and dragged her out of the room. Jack lowered his head.

"God bless ya, Stage," he said quietly, "Yer a real hero." He started walking towards the lodging house. It looked like Stage wouldn't be escaping tonight.


End file.
